Academic Qualifications****
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Commerce, or a related field from a recognised university.
Professional Experience****
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Minimum 6 years’ progressive experience in project accounting, cost accounting, or financial management.
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At least 3 years’ direct experience in the construction, civil engineering, or infrastructure contracting sector in Kenya or East Africa is strongly preferred.
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Demonstrated experience managing multi-project financial portfolios with an aggregate value of KES 500M+ is an added advantage.
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Project Budgeting & Financial Planning**
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Lead the preparation, implementation, and ongoing monitoring of project-specific budgets aligned to Bills of Quantities (BoQs), contract values, and project programmes.
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Develop rolling financial forecasts (monthly/quarterly) incorporating scope changes, variation orders, and project progress updates.
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Maintain budget-vs-actual dashboards using Excel (advanced) or ERP/project management tools, with real-time visibility for project managers and senior leadership.
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Integrate budget data with project scheduling tools (e.g. MS Project, Primavera) to align financial and time-based project planning.
Financial Reporting & Management Accounts****
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Prepare accurate, timely financial reports entailing project P&Ls, cost-to-complete (CTC) analyses and earned value reports on a monthly and ad-hoc basis.
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Produce variance analyses comparing actual costs vs. budgets and forecasts, with clear written commentary for management decisions.
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Consolidate multi-project financial data into company-wide project portfolio reports for the Head of Finance and the Management Board.
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Utilize ERP/accounting system reporting modules (SAP, Sage, QuickBooks, or equivalent) to generate structured management accounts.
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Produce KPI dashboards (utilization rates, cost burn, profitability by project, WIP schedules) using Excel pivot tables, Power BI, or equivalent BI tools.
Cost Management & Control****
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Monitor and track all project expenditures including labour, materials, subcontractors, plant, and preliminaries against approved budgets in real time.
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Identify cost overruns, uncommitted costs, and budget threats early and recommend corrective action to project teams.
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Manage Work-in-Progress (WIP) accounting in line with IAS 11/IFRS 15 construction contract accounting standards.
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Process and validate interim payment certificates (IPCs), subcontractor payment applications, and supplier invoices against contract milestones.
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Support the Quantity Surveyor in valuations, re-measurements, and final account negotiations with clients and subcontractors.
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Administer contract retention calculations, release schedules, and bond tracking across all active projects.
IT Systems, Data & Digital Finance Tools****
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Use ERP and project accounting software as the single source of financial truth across all projects.
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Build and maintain automated Excel models and macros (VBA/Power Query) for cost tracking, cash flow forecasting, and payroll reconciliation.
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Develop and maintain Qlik (or equivalent) dashboards for real-time project financial performance monitoring accessible to project and site teams.
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Integrate financial data from field systems (site timesheets, materials requisitions, fuel logs) into the accounting system, minimising manual data entry and error risk.
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Implement and enforce a digital document management protocol for all project financial records — contracts, IPCs, variations, purchase orders — using document management systems (e.g. SharePoint, Aconex, Procore).
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Evaluate and recommend IT improvements to financial workflows, including mobile-first tools for site-based data capture and approval workflows.
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Act as Finance Super-User for the ERP system: provide training to project staff, maintain chart of accounts integrity, and liaise with IT on system configuration and upgrades.
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Ensure cybersecurity best practices in handling financial data — including controlled system access, audit trails, and data backup protocols.
Procurement Financial Oversight****
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Review and validate all procurement requests and purchase orders against approved project budgets before commitment.
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Monitor and flag uncommitted purchase orders and open GRNs that may affect project cost forecasts.
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Leverage procurement-to-pay modules within the ERP system to enforce three-way matching (PO, GRN, Invoice) before payment release.
Cash Flow Management & Treasury Support****
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Prepare and maintain project-specific and consolidated cash flow forecasts, updated weekly or at programme milestones.
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Monitor client billing cycles, IPC submission schedules, and payment receipts to optimise working capital.
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Flag cash flow risks (payment delays, front-loaded expenditure) and propose mitigation actions to the Head of Finance.
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Prepare drawdown requests and financial reports for project financiers, banks, or development finance institutions where applicable.
Compliance, Statutory, & Financial Controls****
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Ensure all project financial transactions comply with Kenyan financial regulations, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) requirements, and company internal controls.
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Manage and account for withholding tax (WHT) on subcontractor and professional fee payments in line with KRA guidelines.
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Ensure timely and accurate VAT treatment on construction contracts, including reverse charge mechanisms and VAT on retention.
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Maintain a complete, auditable project file — financial records, contracts, variations, approvals — ready for internal and external audit at all times.
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Support year-end statutory audit processes including work-in-progress schedules, accruals, prepayments, and contract asset/liability reconciliations.
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Enforce segregation of duties, approval authority matrices, and financial delegation policies across project expenditure.
Projects Payroll & Labour Cost Management.****
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Oversee the processing and reconciliation of site-based payroll comprising casual labourers, artisans, and plumbers, carpenters etc ensuring accuracy and compliance with Employment Act requirements.
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Reconcile labour cost allocations per project, cost centre and activity code, feeding data into project cost reports.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement****
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Serve as the primary financial partner to Project Managers and Resident Engineers by attending project progress meetings, reviewing project programmes, and providing financial input to key decisions.
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Liaise with Quantity Surveyors on contract administration, claim preparation, and dispute resolution.
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Collaborate with the HR/Admin team on workforce cost management and benefits cost allocation to projects.
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Provide financial analysis to support contract bids, pricing reviews, and go/no-go decisions for new projects.
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Prepare financial packs and briefings for client project steering committees or joint venture governance meetings as required.
Process Improvement & Financial Governance**
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Continuously identify and implement improvements in financial processes, reporting workflows, and systems integration to drive accuracy and efficiency.
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Develop and document Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for project financial management processes.
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Drive a culture of financial accountability across site and project teams through training, clear policies, and regular financial reviews.
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Prepare and present periodic financial governance reports to the Head of Finance and CFO.